Hogwarts a Mystery
by Aviva Tsuion
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy, the only child of former Death Eater, Draco Malfoy, is finally in his first year at Hogwarts. Sorted into Gryffindor, he doesn't exactly fit in. And then muggle-borns start disappearing. Suspicion quickly falls on Scorpius and other children of ex-Death Eaters. Based on "The Story of Katrina Lestrange." Loose prequel to "Murder and a Family Reunited."
1. Chapter 1

_This is it; the first of the rewrites! I may have changed it beyond recognition, but this is based off of "The Story of Katrina Lestrange," an older story of mine that I am leaving up, probably against my better judgement. The original is quite a sue-fic, but if that's your thing, you may find it of interest. I hope this is a major improvement, feel free to tell me what you think!_

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. I own nothing and am making no profit._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Scorpius Malfoy held his head high as he walked through King's Cross Station. His father held one hand and his mother held the other. He was their only child, their pride and joy, and he liked that just fine, thank you very much. As they neared the barrier between platforms nine and ten, he felt his heart skip a beat. He tightened his hold on his parents' hands.

Okay, he was nervous, not just nervous, very nervous and maybe even more than a little bit terrified. But he was a Malfoy, he wasn't allowed to look scared, at least that was what Grandpa Lucius said. Dad told him not to listen to Grandpa Lucius sometimes, Grandpa Lucius was old fashioned.

They nonchalantly walked through the barrier between platforms nine and ten. On the other side they were greeted with a series of pointed looks that his father had taught him to ignore. Whenever Scorpius brought it up, his father told him that they weren't angry at him, though Scorpius wasn't too sure. He hugged each of his parents goodbye, careful not to let too much emotion show, though at the same time, not too little. Looking heartless was just as bad as looking too emotional, if not worse.

He forced himself to walk to the train and get on, though he couldn't help but glance back his parents once. His dad, at least, was still waving at him. He couldn't help but smile, though he quickly made sure it was a small smile. As he loaded on to the train the other kids jostled him. He tried to move out of the way, but found himself shoved to a ground.

"Look what we have here!" an older boy exclaimed, towering over him, "Malfoy, is it?"

Scorpius nodded hesitantly.

"Eat this, Death Eater scum!" another boy pulled out his wand and laughed as Scorpius was lifted from the ground by his ankle.

"Wha-? Let me down!" he demanded, his voice tainted by fear.

"Who're you to tell me what to do? Think you're all high and mighty? You're nothing!" the first boy exclaimed, "It's time you Death Eaters learned your place."

"I-I'm not a Death Eater!"

"Funny, he thinks he isn't a Death Eater." the boy laughed, joined by the others.

The second retorted, "You're a Malfoy, of course you're a Death Eater."

"B-But the Death Eaters don't exist anymore..." Scorpius insisted.

"That don't mean you ain't one!" another boy exclaimed.

"L-Let me down!" he tried again.

"Sure." the boy who had done the spell that lifted him up in the first place, sneered, letting him crash to the ground to a chorus of laughter from the others.

Scorpius scrambled to his feet and ran through the emptied corridor of the train, looking for somewhere to hide. He ducked into the first compartment he saw that didn't have any other older students in it, and slammed the door behind him. It was then that he noticed the two kids sitting there, a girl and a boy. The girl was reading while the boy stared out the window.

"Who're you?" the girl asked bluntly, looking up from her book.

Scorpius hesitated. He glanced at the boy, who didn't seem to have noticed him, and turned his attention back to the girl, who was staring at him expectantly. "I-I'm Scorpius Malfoy." he said as seriously as he could.

The girl started to laugh uncontrollably, until she was doubled over, in danger of falling on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Scorpius questioned, "What's so funny?"

Eventually, she calmed down and shrugged in reply. Suddenly her eyes narrowed, "Malfoy?" she asked, "Like Draco Malfoy?"

He nodded reluctantly. "He's my father." Scorpius explained, his head held high, despite the reluctance in his voice.

"How can you be proud of a father like that?" the girl demanded.

Scorpius looked taken back, "He's my father! Of course I'm proud of him!"

"He was a Death Eater." she insisted.

"He's not anymore! Who are you anyways?"

"Rose Weasley."

"Who's he?" he motioned to the boy staring out the window, who turned to look at him.

"Albus Severus Potter. We're cousins." she explained, as if he needed further introduction.

And she was right, that boy was Albus Severus Potter, _everyone_ knew about him. He was the younger son of Harry Potter, though Harry Potter's older son didn't quite count since he was a _squib_.

"Don't you dare think of insulting my brother!" Albus glared at him.

Scorpius's eyes widened in surprise, "What? I didn't say anything!"

"Whenever anyone mentions my family people either sneer or apologize, it's always about James, and he doesn't need your pity! He's smarter than you'll ever be!"

"Sheesh." Scorpius replied, "I didn't say anything."

"You'd better not." Albus said and turned back to the window.

Scorpius turned to Rose, "What'd I say?"

She shrugged, "Don't ask me, he can just tell things like that. But you'd better not pick on my family, Malfoy."

"I won't." he replied, "As long as you don't pick on mine."

"Deal."

They shook hands.

"So, I assume you want to get into _Slytherin_?" Rose said the name of the house with disgust.

"Of course." he replied as if her question had been a foolish one, "And you want to get into _Gryffindor_?" He said the name with equal distaste.

She didn't even reply, instead opting to give him a look that said it all for her.

"What's so great about Gryffindor anyways? 'Bravery will only get you so far.'" he quoted his father.

"Better be brave and weak than cowardly and strong." she countered, before trying to pull her cousin into the conversation with, "Right, Albus?"

Albus shrugged, not remotely in the mood to talk about houses.

Rose shrugged back and turned back to her argument. They discussed houses until the witch with the lunch cart arrived. They all pooled together their money and bought a few of everything to share. Albus joined in as the conversation turned to classes, though it ended up being mainly Scorpius and Rose, anyways. All too soon the train rolled into Hogsmead station. They flooded out with the rest.

Scorpius found himself alone in the middle of the crowd, glancing around for where he was supposed to go.

"Firs' years over here!" he heard someone shout.

He followed the voice until he found himself amongst a group of other first years, all crowded in front of a giant of a man.

"Two to a boat!" the man shouted over the roar of the crowd.

The other first years rushed forwards, hoping to stay with the friends they had made on the train. He saw Rose waving at him and went to join her. He got in the little boat and she was about to say something when the boats started moving across the glassy surface of the lake. Slowly a castle eked into view, until it loomed in the distance. The sight took his breath away.

Before he knew it, they were on the other side of the lake. They piled out of the boats and followed the giant – Rose said he was a family friend by the name of Hagrid – up to the castle where they met an awkward man, about his parents' age.

"That's Neville- Professor Longbottom." Rose explained, "He's the Deputy Headmaster. He was in the same year as my parents."

Scorpius nodded mutely, focused on the high walls, covered in chattering portraits. He lived in a mansion, but Hogwarts Castle was something else. They suddenly stopped walking as a pair of giant doors opened, revealing a hall filled with students of all ages. Scorpius glanced around nervously, hoping not to catch the eyes of those older boys from the train, when he remembered to hold his head high.

Rose had started chattering about houses and their histories, but he ignored it, too focused on his own anxiety. Of course he would get into Slytherin, he just had to. His whole family had been in Slytherin. But what if he ended up in Gryffindor? His grandfather would disown him that was for sure, would his own father do the same?

He forced himself to focus on the proceedings as a wrinkled, old, pointed hat, which he knew to be the Sorting Hat, was brought out on a stool. It opened a flap and began to sing of each of the houses. The song was over all too soon, as far as he was concerned, and Professor Longbottom started calling out names from a long scroll of parchment.

As each name was called out, the mentioned student stepped up to the hat and waited for it to announce their house. Sometimes the hat had barely rested on their head before calling out a house, while other times it took a few minutes to decide.

"Malfoy, Scorpius." the Deputy Headmaster called out, forcing him from his thoughts.

The whole room felt so much bigger and quieter than before. He forced himself to pick up one foot, and then the next, walking towards the stool with legs of lead. Finally he stopped in front of the stool, sat down, and put the hat over his head. It fell over his eyes, until all he could see was dark cloth.

"_Well, well, well. Another Malfoy. You're a pure-blood and proud of it, but you don't have the ambition to be a Slytherin. No, you're brave at heart, brave enough to be GRYFFINDOR!_"

All he could do was listen numbly as the hat spoke into his ears, or his mind – he wasn't quite sure which. For a moment there was a look of shock across most faces, including Scorpius's. The hat had never been wrong, but he was a Malfoy, what was he doing in Gryffindor? For a moment, no one seemed to know exactly what to do. Then Scorpius put down the tattered old hat and walked to the Gryffindor table, dreading what his father would say. Eventually, the table started to cheer, but he didn't hear them. He only saw the boys who had tormented him on the train jeering at him from the table he was walking towards. In his mind's eye he saw his father's disappointed face.

He sat down as far away from the other students as he could as the sorting continued. Albus was declared a Ravenclaw and, most importantly, the hat announced that Rose was a Gryffindor. He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw her approach, a grin across her face. He was still dreading telling his father, but when the food arrived, his stomach growled and he dug in like the rest. He wasn't really in the mood for talking, so he just listened as Rose chattered away with others at the table.

At one point he heard something that sounded like "Malfoy" from the mouth of some older student, but he assumed he was just being paranoid and ignored it. The meal ended without incident and soon the Headmistress, an old woman in square rim glasses, with her grey hair in a neat bun, stood. She gave a few forgettable announcements, welcoming new students and informing everyone that the forbidden forest was out of bounds, certain items were banned, and no magic was aloud in the corridors between classes.

Then, everyone was dismissed. They all flooded out of the great hall, racing towards their dorms. Scorpius followed Rose as closely as he could, and by some miracle they didn't get separated. They went with the other Gryffindors until they found themselves in front of a painting of a very fat woman in a pink, silk dress.

"Password?" she questioned them.

"Venomous Tentacula." a sixth year girl replied from behind Scorpius and Rose, the portrait swung open.

"Victoire!" Rose exclaimed and spun around to hug her cousin.

"Hey, Rose! You haven't gotten into trouble yet, have you?" Victoire questioned with a smile.

"No."

Her eyes landed on Scorpius, "And who's this?" she asked with a slight frown.

"Scorpius Malfoy." he replied, hand extended just as his father had taught him.

"Very well." she replied, ignoring the hand, and turned to the other first years, "You have to remember the password because you won't be let in without it. It'll change ever so often and you'll be told when it does. Now, go get some sleep."

"Hear, hear!" a passing third year exclaimed.

They all flooded into the common room and up into their respective rooms. Everyone was too full and tired to speak, and for that Scorpius was grateful. He changed clumsily and collapsed into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

* * *

The next morning dawned clear and cool. Scorpius awoke to find himself alone in his dorm, but that wasn't much of a surprise, he was a late sleeper, after all. He got dressed and made his way downstairs into the common room, to find it equally empty. To the great hall it was... He left the common room and wandered through the hallways, desperately trying to remember how they had gotten up to the common room from the great hall the previous night.

Not even two turns and he was lost. He saw another first year, a girl he didn't recognize.

"Do you know how to get to the great hall?" he asked.

She shook her head and hurried away. Scorpius shrugged and continued on. Ten minutes later he managed to arrive at breakfast relatively unscathed. The huge dining hall looked strange with so few people, especially after seeing it so full the previous night. A glance at the Gryffindor table told him Rose was one of the stragglers. The boys from the train were nowhere in sight, and it seemed like the owls had long since come and gone. He wouldn't have to face either of them yet. He sat down next to Rose and shoveled all the food in reach, on to his plate.

"You got lost?" she asked upon his arrival, looking up from a sheet of parchment in her hands.

He nodded, his mouth already stuffed with food.

"Well, you missed getting the schedule. We've got double potions first, right after breakfast, with the Hufflepuffs."

Scorpius quickly finished eating and followed her to class. To his amazement, they didn't seem to get lost once as they descended into the dungeons. He had half a mind to ask her how he had done it, but astonishment was unseemly. They were barely on time, the other students were filing into the classroom as they ran up. Rose led him to seats in the front of the room, and he reluctantly sat next to her. The kid behind him kicked at his seat. He was about to tell them to stop when the room fell silent.

A woman strode into the room, her cloak billowing behind her. She placed a brief case onto the table and turned to face the class. She was that sort of middle-aged that wizards got, where you couldn't tell how old they were, just that they were older than your parents and younger than your grandparents.

"Ah, first years." she rubbed her hands together eagerly – Scorpius found the gesture ominous, to be honest – "Good afternoon. You will call me Professor Dawes. Now, can anyone tell me what a potion is?"

Rose's arm shot up.

"Yes?" Professor Dawes said, pointing at her, "Your name?"

"Rose," - pause - "Weasley."

"Of course." the Professor gave a half smile, and motioned for Rose to continue.

"They're magical mixtures commonly brewed in cauldrons, used to effect the drinker." she recited.

"Good. Over the next five years, every one of you will be learning how to brew a variety of different potions, and will be tested on the subject. But this is not just preparation for your O.W.L.S. Potioneering is a necessary skill for any witch or wizard. Today, we will begin with a practical exercise." she pointed her wand at he board and a list of instructions appeared, "You will have the entire class, follow all the instructions listed."

Rose glanced through the list and leaped to her feet. Scorpius read through the instructions one by one, as he had been taught all his life, looking for anything out of the ordinary. It all seemed simple enough and he was about to force himself to his feet, when he noticed the final direction; "Ignore all of the previous instructions. Remain quiet and seated. Do not inform any of your classmates."

He glanced at the teacher, her expression was serious as she watched the other students hurrying about their work. The only other students still sitting down were three Hufflepuffs and one other Gryffindor. He didn't see Rose.

"Oh look, Malfoy's thinks he's too good for potions." one girl sneered as she passed.

A boy laughed in reply.

"Professor." he called out, but there was no reply, "Professor..." – what was her name again?

Still not even a glance in his direction.

"Tattle-tale." he heard the boy hiss.

Scorpius fell silent.

The class crept by with nothing for him to do, hold watching the other students.

"What're you doing?" Rose questioned as she sat down in the seat next to him and set up her cauldron.

He shook his head and pointed at the instructions, not trusting himself to speak.

She began chopping up a root of some sort, "You can't get through school doing nothing, you know."

He shook his head again and gestured towards the instructions.

He swore he could hear the teacher laughing, but when he glanced at her, she was silent and serious as ever.

Rose shrugged and returned to her work, as he watched. A noxious smell began to fill the room. The others began to cough, until Professor Dawes finally raised her wand. The stench vanished, along with all the potions the students had been preparing on.

"Hey-" Rose, among others, began to protest.

Professor Dawes stood and motioned for silence, as soon as she received it, she began to talk, "Does anyone know what went wrong?"

"I followed the instructions perfectly." he heard Rose mutter under her breath.

Scorpius merely shook his head and hesitantly raised a hand.

"Miss-" Professor Dawes pointed to a girl a few rows behind him, with short brown hair. She was a Hufflepuff who he hadn't noticed sitting still while the others worked.

"Wood." the girl replied, "We didn't read all the directions."

"Good. If you'll look at the last instruction," she pointed at it with her wand and the letters glowed, "It says to ignore all the ones that came before it and to remain seated. Now, what was the point of this exercise?"

There was a moment's pause before hands began to rise. It was then that the bell rung. For an instant no one moved, and then the room erupted into chaos as everyone collected their belongings.

"I expect everyone to turn in a written answer by next class. A sentence or two will suffice." the professor announced as they made their way out of the door.

* * *

That day passed in a whirl of action, teachers talked, wands moved, sparks flew, spells formed. At one point his chair fell out from under him, courtesy of another student, but even then, it was all part of the rush that was his first day at Hogwarts. Even Scorpius, who had never ventured outside the magical world, found it all a bit overwhelming. By the time his final class for the day rolled around, he was exhausted. They reached the door to the Charms classroom to find about half the class already waiting. They all seemed to be getting better at finding their way around the castle.

"Albus!" Rose exclaimed as they approached.

The boy glanced up, "Rose! I'm glad your day went well."

"How're you?" she asked.

He hesitated, "Good, I guess..."

Rose grinned, "Have you had potions yet?"

"Not yet." he replied suspiciously, eyes narrowed.

She laughed, "You'll see when you get there."

He nodded hesitantly as they followed the others streaming into the classroom. All three of them sat together, as the young Professor Grosset began to speak. They would be starting with Wingardium Leviosa, the Levitating Charm. He told them the proper motion and gave them all feathers, and then they began.

Yet again, sparks began to fly, smoke filled the room twice, but soon enough, Rose's feather flew into the air, before she turned to help him. Scorpius had produced sparks a few times, and a few sparks had been directed in his direction. At one point he was sure the feather had moved a little, but it didn't levitate. All in all, the help was much appreciated.

Albus seemed to be having even worse luck. He gripped his wand tightly, repeating the spell over and over again. Every time it looked like something was going to happen, but nothing did. No sparks, nothing. Maybe there was something wrong with his wand. Scorpius sure didn't know, and anyways, he was more focused on getting his feather to levitate.

Class came to an end all too quickly, as far as Scorpius was concerned. He hadn't succeeded at the spell yet, though, as they walked back to the common room to put away their bags before dinner, Rose said that, he had gotten pretty close.

* * *

_Note: As you may have noticed, Albus is abnormally intelligent and James is a Squib. That is because this is a loose prequel to "Murder and a Family Reunited" featuring Albus S. Potter as the boy who will become Sherlock Holmes and James Potter as his older brother, Mycroft. As such, I've made a couple of changes to line up with that series. Neither are particularly major characters in this fic, so it's not necessary to read that to understand this, I just decided to make it a bit of a tie in.  
_

_Sorry for an confusion that may have caused.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. I own nothing and am making no profit._

**Chapter 2**

The next morning, Scorpius awoke on the early side, for him at least. His dorm was already empty, but this time he wasn't going to be late for breakfast. He wasn't sure if he was proud of his accomplishment or dreading the experience. All the same, he pulled on his clothes and made his way into the dining hall, only getting lost twice along the way.

He sat down next to rose who greeted him with an explanation of, "Not a morning person."

Apparently he had woken up really late the previous morning. The boys from the train were seated at the other table, laughing loudly about something. Glad to be ignored, Scorpius began to eat. He had barely started when the noise of a hundred some birds echoed through the hall.

He looked up to find a swarm of owls. For the first time he noticed how the ceiling projected the sky above it, though he was sure his father had mentioned it before. And speaking of his father... Amidst the cloud of birds, he spotted his father's eagle owl bearing a package and a letter. The owl swooped down and landed next to his plate.

"Hey, Hawkey." he said with a weak chuckle, remembering what he had always called the bird, as long as he remembered at least.

Hawkey nipped him affectionately and went for his toast. While the owl was distracted, Scorpius untied the box and the roll of parchment from around its leg.

Dear Scorpius, [the letter read]

How was your first day? What house did you get in to? I hope the Potter-Weasley clan didn't bother you too much. Keep your head high, you're a Malfoy, be proud of it. Your mother says hello.

With Love,

Draco Malfoy

Scorpius read through the letter twice. His father had never been very verbose, so its length wasn't surprising. Scorpius was just glad to see the familiar handwriting. But still, he wasn't sure what to write in reply. Reluctantly he pulled out a quill and a scroll of parchment from his bag, and began to write:

Dear Dad,

My first day was okay. I met Rose Weasley and Albus Severus Potter on the train. Albus didn't say much, but strange as it is, Rose isn't that bad. I got into Gryffindor, I don't think I fit in too well, but Rose has been helping me out a lot. I'll try. Tell mum I say hi back.

Miss you,

Scorpius Malfoy

With that, he sealed the roll of parchment, and attached it to Hawkey. The owl took another nibble of toast and flew off. Scorpius let out a long sigh and returned to his meal.

* * *

A few days later the morning post brought him a letter that read:

Dear Scorpius,

I am glad you enjoyed your first day and hope you have been enjoying yourself since. I question your choice of friends, but if Miss Weasley is "not that bad," as you say, then she may be a good ally to have, particularly for appearances sake. Of course, I would rather you have been chosen for Slytherin, but if the hat chose Gryffindor, well, it must have had a reason to. I hope you make some good connections. Remember, first impressions are very important.

With Love,

Draco Malfoy

Scorpius read his father's reply with a slight smile. He let out a sigh of relief as soon as he finished. His father wasn't mad at him for getting into Gryffindor, or being friends with Rose. He was a bit disappointed, but still a large weight seemed to lift from Scorpius's shoulders. He began to etch out a reply on a piece of parchment, but just as he was figuring what to say, Rose interrupted.

"What've you got there?" she asked, reading quickly over his shoulder.

He shielded the parchment from her view, "Nothing."

"It's a letter from your father."

"So what if it is?"

"What's Draco Malfoy have to say to his son?"

"Just asking how I'm doing."

"Is he a good father."

"Wha-? Of course he is!"

"If you say so…" she shrugged.

"Is Ron Weasley a good father? What about Hermione Granger?" he demanded.

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"Why wouldn't Draco Malfoy be a good father?"

"Dad says he's a 'bloody racist,' just like his father."

"What's wrong with Grandpa Lucious?"

"He was a Death Eater, just like your dad."

"_Was_."

"Still…"

"And your parents think they're so great."

"Why shouldn't they? They fought on the _right_ side of the war." She thrust out her chest proudly.

"Who are you to say what the right side was? And they've apologized!"

"People can apologize and not mean it. Everyone knows the Malfoys are all a bunch of liars."

"Are not!"

"Are too! Are you saying my dad was lying?"

"Maybe I am!"

"Don't you dare-!" Rose stood, pulled out her wand and raised it threateningly.

"Your dad lied." Scorpius said, standing and pulling out his wand as well.

"_Expeliarmus!_" Both of their wands flew out of their hands as Headmistress McGonogall came marching towards them, her lips pressed together into a thin line, "Twenty points from Gryffindor." she said, "My office. Now."

They marched silently through the empty halls. Scorpius and Rose followed the Headmistress, avoiding each other's eyes at all costs. In one hand Scorpius still clutched the letter from his father, and the reply he had been working on.

_It was all her fault._ Scorpius couldn't believe it, in trouble on the second day of school. His father would kill him now, if this woman didn't get to him first.

_It was all his fault, the Malfoy brat._ Rose's father had told her to be careful around him, and this was what she got for trying to be friends with the child of _Draco Malfoy_. Her mother would be proud, except for the getting in trouble part, but still, she couldn't believe his gall. She clenched her fists and snuck a glare at him.

Up and up they went. Through hallways, past pictures that chattered as they went. Finally the Headmistress came to a stop in front of a pair of stone goblins.

"Password?" one asked.

"Licorice wand." was her terse reply.

Scorpius gave her a confused look, not exactly what he had expected to hear as the password to the office of the Headmistress. He snuck a glance at Rose, she looked like she could barely stop herself from laughing. But as soon as she saw him, her face fell. She glared at him before turning ahead with a serious expression of pure distaste.

They went up once more, and into a large, circular office. The first thing Scorpius noticed was a wall of portraits, all of distinguished witches and wizards. Many seemed to have just been awoken by their arrival.

"First troublemaker of the year." an old witch cackled.

"First one caught." a wizard replied snidely.

"That's Malfoy's son, isn't it?" a younger woman piped up.

An old man with a long white beard and half moon spectacles smiled kindly at him from a central portrait, next to one of a man with greasy black year and a permanent sneer. They sat above a shelf of delicate silver instruments, whose purposes Scorpius could not even begin to fathom.

"I hope you haven't been causing too much trouble." The old man said, his eyes twinkling.

Another was about to speak when Professor McGonagall shushed them all.

"Miss Weasley, I expect better of you, both of you, Gryffindors none the less. I understand that your parents were not friends when they went to school here, but fighting will not be tolerated. Understood?"

Both Rose and Scorpius nodded resignedly.

She handed back their wands. "Now, I expect to see you resolve any future conflicts peacefully, without the use of magic, or there will be further consequences. You are dismissed."

They turned and left, without looking at the other. As Rose headed towards the dorms, Scorpius pulled out his schedule and set off for Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins. He arrived 15 minutes later, distinctly late. The professor, a short, stable old man with snowy white hair, sat at the desk, doing attendance. Several Gryffindors glared at him as he entered.

"And you are?" he glanced up.

"Scorpius Malfoy- in Gryffindor. Sorry I'm late…"

"Have a seat." He motioned towards the only empty seat in the class – the middle of the front row, right next to Rose.

Scorpius sat down. He hazarded a glance at Rose, but she pointedly ignored him. He turned his attention back to the professor, who was standing.

"Everyone up." he announced.

The entire class stood.

"Wands out. Now, repeat after me: _Protego_!" he flicked his wand upwards. A blue light emanated from the tip of his wand.

"_Protego_!" the class imitated.

Scorpius felt a jolt of energy running through his arm, just as he had when he first got his wand.

"Again." The professor instructed.

"_Protego_!" the class repeated.

"Good. Now, can anyone tell me-"

Rose's hand shot up.

"Yes, Miss…"

"Weasley, Rose Weasley." She replied, "It's the shield charm. It magically blocks spells and physical entities."

"Good. Five points to Gryffindor. Now, can anyone else tell me why this might be useful."

Another girl, a Slytherin, raised her hand, "If someone, or something, is trying to attack you, you can defend yourself."

"Exactly. Miss…"

"Liza Erikson."

"Five points to Slytherin. The shield charm is the most basic protection spell, but that does not mean it is easy."

He was about to continue when a boy raised his hand, "Yes? Mr…"

"Todd Kersey. I don't mean any disrespect, sir, but why do we have to learn the shield charm when you can just buy charmed stuff?"

"Good question, Mr. Kersey. Charmed objects are simply nowhere near as reliable as a charm performed by oneself. They are a great convenience, but it's much better to be able to perform the charm yourself. Understood?"

Kersey nodded.

"Any further questions?"

No one moved.

"Good. Spend the remainder of the lesson practicing. Feel free to ask any questions if you have them."

Everyone scattered throughout the room, gathering in groups as teenagers were wont to. Scorpius found himself alone in a corner. He scanned the room for Rose, but she stood with her back to him, standing with a group of girls who seemed to be her room mates, and a few boys. He quickly turned away and set about practicing, but his mind was elsewhere, and by the time the bell rung, he had made little progress, beyond slightly singeing the wall.

"I expect everyone to practice." The professor said as they filled out the door.

History of Magic followed, taught by Professor Binns, who just happened to be a ghost. Scorpius tried not to fall asleep as he droned on about something historical – or so he assumed – but he failed. Next thing he knew, the bell was ringing and the professor was assigning eleven inches on the origins of magic that he had no idea how he was going to complete.

Rose was nowhere in sight as Scorpius left the classroom, and headed to the great hall for lunch. He found her sitting with her dorm mates, she looked bored, but when he arrived, there was no reply. Then came Herbology with the Ravenclaws and Transfiguration with Hufflepuff. Rose spent Herbology talking to her cousin and Transfiguration with her Gryffindor friends. Scorpius ended up working with a few Ravenclaws, who he got along well enough with, and some Hufflepuffs who ended up helping him.

That evening, he sat on his four-poster doing homework, careful not to spill any ink on to his bed. He practiced the shield charm until his dorm mates came in, and headed off to sleep. The week passed slowly, without Rose to talk to. Classes were far from easy as it was, but they were even worse when you went through them alone. He made a few friends in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but the Gryfindors were still distant as ever – perhaps even more so, after his argument with Rose. He spend that weekend studying.

Come Monday morning, he awoke early, by his standards at least. He got dressed just as his roommates finished up and headed downstairs with the rest. He walked on his own as they talked amongst himselves. Suddenly he felt someone grabbing on to his arm.

"What?" he exclaimed, spinning around to meet his assailant, but there was no one in sight.

Something pulled him off into an empty classroom. The door slammed shut behind him.

"What's going on?" he tried to shout, but no noise came out of his mouth.

He instinctively grasped at his throat.

"What do you want with me?" he tried again, "Someone! Help me!" Still no sound escaped.

A peal of laughter echoed through the room. He glanced around, but there seemed to be no one there. Suddenly he was hoisted by his ankle and hung upside-down. He screamed in silence. Words began to appear on the wall.

"Death Eater scum" they read.

"Someone help me!" he tried again, still to no avail.

His wand! He needed his wand! He spotted it lying on the ground, useless as a simple stick. Please, let someone find him, he begged whoever was watching – as unbecoming as begging was.

Then the door flew open. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway, wand raised. In an instant he was on the ground in a heap. One of the older students who had accosted him in the train appeared in the corner.

"Come with me!" McGonagall ordered, Scorpius thought she had been angry the other day, but that was nothing.

As she led him out the door, she flicked her wand, and the words on the wall vanished. It was then that he noticed Rose standing in the doorway.

"I thought you might need some help." She remarked.

Scorpius forced himself to his feet, stepped towards her, and extended a hand, "Thank you."

To his relief she took the hand, and gave it a solid shake, "No problem." She said with a wry smile, "Breakfast?"

"I'm starving." He couldn't help but grin.


End file.
